Fly-tippers strike again
Written by John Williamson on 16/02/2021
South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) is appealing for witnesses after dozens of tyres were fly-tipped at a Lake District beauty spot.
The latest in a spate of recent fly-tipping crimes saw more than 70 tyres abandoned in a lay-by at Bog Lane, Brathay, near Ambleside, at around 11pm last Friday (12 February).
Locality Officers at SLDC are investigating the incident and are asking the public to contact them if they saw truck carrying tyres within a 5-mile radius of Bog Lane on Friday night. They have also released these details to help jog people’s memories:
· One tyre has a mist of green paint all over one side, perhaps from a car being resprayed – was this your tyre?
· Another, very new, tyre has a nail and screw about 4 inches apart, size 205/40Z/R17 – again, was this your tyre?
Any information from members of the public would be greatly appreciated, and you can contact the Locality Team on 01539 733333 or email locality@southlakeland.gov.uk
This is the fourth significant fly-tipping incident in rural South Lakeland in less than a month, after:
· 118 used tyres were dumped onto a country road at Barbon on 16 January
· what appeared to be a skip-full of concrete slabs and household rubbish was abandoned on the road between Arnside and Silverdale on 19 January
· and around 25 bright blue bags of builders’ waste were tipped on the beach at Bardsea, also in January.
It is not known if any of the incidents are connected, and investigations are ongoing.
A council spokesman said: “Fly-tipping is not a victimless crime. As well as the cost to the environment, the financial cost of clearance, disposal and investigation is ultimately borne by the Council Tax payers of the district. We investigate every case of fly-tipping reported and, if appropriate, action will be taken. This can range from fixed penalty notices and warning letters being issued to prosecutions, potentially significant fines and even custodial sentences.”
The maximum penalty for fly-tipping that can be imposed by the courts is a £50,000 fine and up to five years in prison for the most serious offences.
